Theres no one there to guide you anymore...
by Darkmoon
Summary: The future of Mobius, invaded by Robotnik's son, Packbell. Rick Hedgehog is sent on a desperate quest to find the Chrono Trigger, the machine invented by the wizard Lazarus with the help of the Doc. Am desperate plea to save his future, and his world...


Tales of the Great War Vanquish the Demon within… 

Bookshire's Log 

We have been living under the grasp of the tyrant Packbell. I don't know where the Freedom Fighters went wrong. We had defeated Robotnik definitely, and then there was the attack… Our home was attacked by a huge number of Dragons. Thanks to the ingenuity of the princess, they didn't destroy the original Knothole. We believe there was a spy somewhere. It might have been the figure we saw when we went to spy on the base. Nevertheless, we have lost. Know the resistance cowers and hides in an underground cave somewhere under the tyrants HQ. The king and the queen have disappeared. The ancient council of White Knights still exists, but their numbers are sparse. They have reasons to believe that since Packbell couldn't roboticize the White Pillar, he froze time at the last Rob-Cha. So know the White Pillar cannot protect us…. I pray that somehow the council will find something to do… 

The rusting shores of the beaches of Mobius were draped in a grisly robe of pollution. The trees lay withered and dead there branches bare and cold. The vegetation that had once been abundant in the lands had been totally roboticized, and in effect, cold dark metal plants grew everywhere. In the forest, the landscape was similar. It was a noiseless, gray and cold prison. Those that got trapped in there would go insane with the ugliness of this place that had once been a sanctuary for those seeking refuge. 

The northern mountains had been laid bare, totally deprived of its grandeur it had once been the pride of the elves and the dwarfs dwelling there. The center of the city that had once been Neo-Mobotropolis was at the same place that it had once been the White Pillar. But placed on top of the magnificent construction was the HQ of Packbell, the vampire tyrant that had been the son of Robotnik. The metallic smells and oil spills had changed the city. Robots marched in every street; the civilians that were left dared not leave their humble dwellings, for fear of being arrested. Children weren't being born anymore. The society was dying, the old dream of the maniac that was their ruler. Something had to be done. The old friends of Sonic and Sally were still alive, but they had lost all will to fight since their leaders and friends had disappeared. In the dark alleys where a small rat pillaged in a can of trash for its meal, something happened. A sign that the future could be avoided. In the graveyard that had once been Uncle Chuck's diner, the past called to the future. 

I was born in the Mobian year 3013. I never knew who I was. My father was the counselor Daza. I never knew what it was that made me realize that I was somewhat different from the other children. 

My father never told me anything much. I never knew my mother. But something must have been strange about me. I had never met other children. It seemed I must have been the next generation. I had survived thanks to a miracle. When I was three, I escaped from my father's vigilance, and was caught by a group of robots. I got my arm roboticized before the Freedom Fighters came to the rescue. But nevertheless, I am alive. My best friend probably is Uncle Chuck. He seems to know a lot about me. He will never die. He has been roboticized, and survived the treatment. So has his will. He still knows who he is. He knows me well. Most of the old freedom fighters have survived. Only Sonic and Sally aren't here with us. They have been trying to organize some kind of a resistance, but our forces aren't sufficient to fight against Packbell. 

He stopped momentarily writing on the little logbook he had received for his birthday. He gazed dreamily into the crackling fire. The softly glowing embers of the fire were soothing. He added another log and murmured an incantation. He had started learning the art of alchemy since he was very young. 

His father has insisted that he was to learn this. But the weight of the knowledge was a burden. The sages had discovered in him a talent in alchemy. He walked out of the dwelling and into the underground caves. Pale torches were placed here and there, so that there was some lighting, even though it was difficult to see correctly in the dull flickering light. He ducked and walked into the dark crevices and nooks of the red stone. The caves were built to offer a passage to all of the strategic locations of the area of Robotropolis. In the middle of the infrastructure was a huge dome-like cave. It was placed somewhere on the outskirts of the city. But that was like a village square for the people in Cavernhole. He spotted one of the few teenagers in the village, Skyflier. The young hedgehog greeted Rick. He had a flannel shirt where he had tucked his trusty slingshot. At his side slouched inside his belt was a pouch filled with numerous stones of different sizes and weight. He had been living in the dark caves for years, and many people were wondering if he were not half mole. His eyes were used to the obscurity of the caves, and he was often asked for on expeditions to guide the Freedom Fighters through the dark and sinuous halls of the caves. Rick looked trustfully at his friend. He was a fearless young hedgehog. Since young age he had been training in the murky depths of the catacombs in a dark lake, assisted by many old masters. There was a prophecy that one of the hedgehogs would eventually save the city of Mobotropolis from Packbell, and many believed that it was to be him. He greeted Skyflier. The young athletic hedgehog waved his hand. -" I don't think you should be out so far! You're almost at the outskirts of the old graveyard" -"That's were I am headed." It was the national celebration of the day when the King and Queen of Mobius had been supposed to disappear, the 12 of the 12 month, a mystical number, which was also Rick's birthday. 

He had brought some flowers to lay on the tombs of both of the rulers. He arrived at the graveyard. Nobody had arrived yet. The tombs were laid in an area that had been laced with magic so that the sensors of the robots couldn't find them. The graveyard had been constructed on the outskirts of the old construction that had once been Uncle Chuck's diner. The old tombstones honored those dead in battle, the great battle that had taken place in the great castle where the great pillar stood. The warriors had fought bravely; they had fought the greatest battles in the history of Mobius. Every single worthy fighter took some part into it. Some of these came from some of the parallel worlds that Sonic had visited before he came back to Mobius, ten years later. The charred and cracked slab of marble reflected the dull light of the moon, the red moon that always appeared on the days of Rob-Cha. This had been one of the main clues the Freedom Fighters had had to prove their theory that somehow Packbell had frozen day, but not the rest of the planet. The granite was crisscrossed with old scars that time had inflicted upon them. But they still were there. For years the two monarchs had been the only things that had kept the spirit up. But know they were gone. Swept up into oblivion. And the only trace left of their existence on the planet was some tracks, and these two stones. Upon the obituaries were inserted twin white emeralds, the sign of good. And on both of the shiny stones, was a sign. Two twin moons, facing eachother, with small chips studded on both of the oblong size, and in the middle of the opposite signs was a diamond-like emblem embracing the edges of the moons… He kneeled before the area, and stayed there for two minutes. He then rose and his eye caught something that at first he believed to be a jewel. But once he approached it, he found out it wasn't; it was a tiny rose. 

Council Room, caves… 

-" There is only one conclusion to be made; Nature is trying to protect the planet." Daza had spoken a small sentence. But it had made its effect. Never had a small plant grown anywhere on Mobius. Not even in these deep underground caves, where the robotic plague hadn't swept its wind of destruction yet. The tiny plant seemed to be worth its share in gold. One of the great heroes of the war reputed for his strategic bravoury named Niptooth stood up. He was a frightening sight for whoever didn't know him. But he was gentle and kind. He had once been a corsair, sailing the sixteen glimmering seas of Mobius, including the seventeenth sea, the air. He had but one eye, the other empty orbit masked by a black eye-patch. He talked in a clear, loud and gruff voice. -" Then counselor Daza, are you saying that the tale prophesied by the white Legionnaires would be true?" The council room had been draped with tapestries and art pieces from a time long ago. They were studded with glittering reliefs, colorful stitching and many heroic deeds being recounted. In the middle of the room stood a small case, but in it was contained one of the greatest treasures of the Mobian heritage: A small leather book, recounting the whole history of Mobius. 

But the thoughts of the ancients, the sages and the knights weren't the past, but the future. Daza continued, speaking so loudly that his voice echoed through the whole cavern. -" I think one of us should explain to those concerned the story of their ancestors, including the travel to the past." Darius, a great flyer of the great wars, stood up. -" You realize that this mean we are to tell Rick about his heritage?" -" I am very aware of this, Darius, but enough is enough. I am tired of hiding this. I love Rick dearly, but he isn't mine to teach. Suggest we bring him to someone he could trust someone who could teach him what he needs to know before the completion of the quest. I first thought of Knuckles, but he has been roboticized, therefore there is only one person that could do that…" The counselor sat up. He walked towards a picture painted on the walls of the cave. -" Are you suggesting…LAZARUS?" 

The counselor looked gravely upon the council. -" His first quest will be to discover the wizard. Therefore I suggest we barely tell him who he really is, then let Lazarus explain the quest, if that is what he is destined to get to. He must also take the two other chosen ones with him." 

The meeting was over. Skyflier advanced towards Daza. -" Great Uncle Daza, you already told me I was to become one of the chosen ones… But then we would all have to face a challenge to obtain our weapons, symbol of our coming of age… But…I will miss you…" Daza hugged Skyflier close to him. He had been holding a lot of emotions back for a long time. His next mission would be to discover the other chosen one. 

He walked slowly through the dark corridors that constituted the maze that was Cavernhole. Some of the people dwelling there had never seen the rays of the sun. Most of them had been born sometime when the Freedom Fighters were emigrating to Cavernhole. He was looking for someone from the legends; The poem went thus 

He will come from the depths of the earth; His power great and growing in the place of cavernhole; Son of a hero, hero in making, his mark of birth The sign of light hiding in the dark, living like a mole 

He will join the chosen ones, his destiny fulfilled Find the collar, defeat the monsters Find the Gemstone and the shadow 

This is a very complicated fanfic, especially because of the numerous changes in time continuum (Not presented here yet…) I know, I know short again… Just KEEP THE FAITH!! 


End file.
